What Lies In Blood
by Druid Sorceress
Summary: Sequel to Dracula 2000. After being released from his new confinement at the hands of Simon Shepard, Dracula sets out to find another young girl bound to him by his blood...Garnet...Simon and Mary's daughter.
1. What Dreams May Come

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Dracula (this is Bram Stoker's brainchild) nor do I own the concept of Dracula 2000 (that credit goes to Wes Craven…and hats off to him for picking a studly guy to be the Prince of Darkness). The only parts I do own are my character Garnet, and the other various characters I came up with, aside from those who were from Dracula 2000. Please enjoy!**_

… She tossed and turned among the twisted black satin sheets, dreaming of him again. Lightning illuminated her dark room as she fought against having the dream. Thunder shook the room as the rain pelted against the roof of the house. Every night, she had the same dream, over and over.

Giving into the dream that flooded her subconscious, she envisioned herself walking through a darkened hallway, wearing a flowing blood red dress that splayed on the floor with each step.

Candles lit by themselves, one by one, slowly illuminating the hallway. She sensed a presence behind her but dared not to look over her shoulder. Her breath, hitching in her throat in a shallow manner, caused her to feel slightly dizzy, almost as if something were taking control of her.

She found herself walking into a room lit with more candles and a great big bed looming in front of her, fashioned in red silk sheets. Her curiosity got the better of her as she approached the bed, wondering what the driving force behind her actions was.

She reached out her hand to touch the sheets and heard a voice behind her. She knew that voice from somewhere but could not put her finger on it. There was something about that voice that made her submissive, wanting to hear the sexy lull over and over.

Commenting on her intuitiveness, his sexy voice rolling over her in deep sensual waves, he then said the one thing she thought would never escape his lips.

"Garnet"…

Garnet Shepard sat bolt upright in bed, her surroundings becoming familiar to her as she regained her composure…she sighed as she looked at the French doors which had blown open because of the storm.

"Oh fuck" she sighed, clutching her sheets to her chest as she tried to erase the memory of the dream from her subconscious "I had the dream again. Mom will kill me if I don't sleep well tonight. And God only knows how Dad will react to it."

Garnet started to settle down, staring out at the open French doors as the storm ravaged the city. She always loved thunderstorms, even as a child. And even now, as she watched the lightning illuminate her balcony, she sat there, transfixed as she started to calm down.

"I wonder who that guy is in my dreams" she whispered, unconsciously rubbing the back of her neck as she stared out the doorway. "It must mean something--"

Before she could even finish her sentence, a man appeared in the doorway of her balcony, clad all in black, wearing a flowing cloak. His face was concealed in the shadows of the night before a streak of lightning lit up the area, making it more visible to the eye. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized it was the man from her dreams.

The man stared at her for a long time, as she kept her eyes glued in his direction, not daring to let him out of her sight.

'Oh shit' Garnet thought, wondering if she was still dreaming 'Is this really happening? Is there really a man standing there?'

He remained at the threshold, staring intently at her as she pondered whether she was hallucinating or not. Garnet took a deep breath and looked away momentarily as she stood up.

"Who are you?" she said, in an unfaltering voice before noticing that the man had disappeared. She slowly approached the balcony doors, cautiously reaching out to close them.

Her hand grasped the handle as a vision suddenly forced its way into her subconscious. There she was, in the looming bed of her dreams, with the man kissing his way down her exposed body.

She shut her eyes and turned her head before opening them again. The vision had disappeared, and her arm was being soaked by the cold hard rain. She pulled the doors shut and locked them, breathing heavily.

'Did I imagine this or was it actually real?' she thought, slowly retreating back to her bed…

… Mary Shepard sat at her kitchen table, staring at a prescription bottle intently as she had done many times before in her youth. For as far as she could remember, she was taking many pills to counteract the visions she had, and the nightmares that haunted her once-pleasant dreams. She had eventually found the cause of those nightmares and nearly fell victim to them until she gained enough strength to fight.

She sighed, mentally scolding herself for letting her mind wander to those days in New Orleans, when she was a young, cautious girl having terrible nightmares about a man she hardly knew.

Simon Shepard walked into the kitchen, frowning as he saw his wife lost in thought. He knew that all-too-familiar look she had when she was letting her mind wander to parts that should have been long-buried.

"Mary" he said softly, causing her to break out of whatever reverie she was in "You need to stop letting your mind wander"

Mary smiled fondly at her husband and reached out to him. He moved closer to her and leaned down to kiss her.

"It's been over for a long while" he whispered, hoping their daughter wouldn't hear "He's been locked back up in that dungeon in Carfax. He is no threat to anyone right now."

"I know" Mary whispered, sighing as she pulled away "I should be feeling peace of mind because you've taken over my father's work, but I still feel that he could be set free again"

"I will never let that happen" Simon promised, taking Mary's hand and squeezing it lovingly "I will never let him near you or our daughter"

Simon pulled Mary out of the chair she was sitting in and encircled her in his arms.

"You shan't worry, darling" he whispered, pulling her in for a kiss "You are safe now. I'm here"

He then kissed her lovingly until he heard a disgusted voice behind him.

"Oh get a room!" said the unmistakable voice of Garnet, their 22 year old daughter "I never want to see you two kissing like that ever again"

Simon and Mary both sighed and laughed as they pulled away from each other.

"Did you have a good sleep, darling?" Mary asked Garnet, sitting back down at the table.

"For the most part, yes" Garnet replied, opening the refrigerator door to retrieve a bottle of orange juice "You know how much I like thunderstorms"

"Yes" Simon teased her "We know! Speaking about things you like, how would you like to come with me to Carfax to help with the yearly inventory?"

"Sounds like a total bore" Garnet said, stifling a yawn as she opened the bottle "What's in it for me?"

"I believe that Justin McCartney will be there to help as well" Simon said, knowing how much his daughter liked his assistant.

Both Simon and Mary had to stifle a laugh as Garnet perked up, her dark eyes sparkling.

"Why didn't you say so?" Garnet said, suddenly smiling goofily "I'll be glad to help out"

"Good" Simon said, smirking at his only child "I'll be leaving shortly, so please get ready"

"Yes, Dad"…


	2. Welcome Back to the Depths of Carfax

… Justin McCartney stood in the main foyer of Carfax, holding an old ledger as he stared at the locked safe in front of him.

In the year and a half that he had worked as an assistant for Simon Shepard, he had never stepped foot inside that safe, nor had he even the slightest clue as to what was hidden in there. The very thought of finding out intrigued him immensely.

"My apologies, Justin" Simon apologized, rushing into the foyer "I was running a little late"

"It's no problem, sir" Justin replied as he saw Garnet enter the foyer "I had arrived only a few minutes ago. I'm ready to work"

"Good" Simon said, gesturing towards Garnet "My daughter will be assisting you today. You two will be checking the inventory in the armory. Just give me a second to open the door to the safe"

Justin's heart soared as he stole a glance at Garnet. He was finally going to see what was behind the secured safe door.

"Is the armory behind the safe?" Justin asked casually, clutching the ledger in his hands. He watched Simon intently to see the code he was about to punch in. After memorizing the code, he quickly wrote it down in the ledger.

"Of course" Simon said, punching in a code in a nearby wall panel. The door gave a small groan as it slowly opened. "I'll be in the upstairs office if you need me"

He handed Garnet a flashlight and watched her go inside the vault with Justin…

… "This is kind of creepy" Garnet said softly, as they descended the winding staircase into a dungeon of sorts "I never knew my dad kept things in such a creepy place"

"Don't worry" Justin said, in a mock-gallant tone "I'll protect you, Garnet! From the bats and bugs and whatever else we find here"

"Gee thanks" Garnet said sarcastically as they reached the final step, in front of a big metal door marked "ARMORY"

"This is it" Justin said, searching for a way to open the door. "Now your father said that there was a secret way to get in here"

"You mean this?" Garnet said, twisting a nearby torch to the right. The heavy door started to open.

"Yes, that" Justin said belatedly, frowning as the door opened all the way. "Shine the flashlight into the room."

Garnet did as she was told and waited for Justin to walk into the room before following suit. She had to keep from laughing as she saw him groping around for a light switch.

After a long moment of scaling his hands along the wall and finding nothing, Justin sighed.

"I'll go grab a torch from the staircase" he said sheepishly, slowly walking out of the room.

Garnet stood there, letting the flashlight beam hit on a set of armor as she waited for Justin to return with a torch to hang in the armory. She felt a little uneasy standing in a room full of armor all alone.

"Sorry about that" Justin said, walking back into the room with two torches "I think this should give us more than enough light"

Justin proceeded to put both torches in holders at opposite ends of the room, lighting up the area drastically.

"Much better" Garnet said, feeling less uneasy as Justin picked up his ledger. "Where shall we start?"

Justin's green eyes fell on a door, marked with a big cross. He knew there had to be something big behind that door, but also knew that it was more than likely locked.

"Let's start with the smaller weapons first" Justin said, averting his eyes from the door to where there some antique revolvers and crossbows…

… He walked along the darkened foyer of Carfax, clad all in black and ready to explore. It was an easy enough matter to chloroform the guards before punching in the secret code to open the sealed vault.

Justin smirked as he grabbed a torch and made his way down the eerie staircase to the armory, where he turned the fake torch to open the heavy door.

"This is it" he said to himself, hoisting the bag over his shoulder as the door opened all the way "I will finally get to see what Shepard has hidden behind that door"

He slowly walked inside, lighting the two torches he and Garnet had left in the room earlier. He then set his bag down and pulled out a few supplies before setting to work. He took a drill and bore a couple of holes in the door with the cross before sticking some plastic explosive putty in. As he worked, he recalled the feeling of curiosity that overcame him when he tried in vain to concentrate on his work. No matter how much he tried to focus on the inventory he had to finish, he couldn't take his mind off of what could be behind that door.

He took out a fuse and stuck it in the explosives before turning on the detonator. Shivering with excitement, he slowly made his way out of the armory to set the explosives off.

"I bet there are diamonds" Justin said to himself excitedly "Diamonds and gold, and maybe even rubies"

He crouched behind the armory door and set off the detonator. Within minutes, there was a small explosion and the area filled with smoke. Justin could hear the door groan as the lock separated from the metal.

"I think it worked" he exclaimed, rushing into the room to see his handiwork. Much to his chagrin, he saw that the door had been busted open. His heart soared as he grabbed a torch and headed into the sealed room.

Much to his dismay, all he could see was a silver coffin lying on a concrete slab in the middle of the empty room. The concrete slab was surrounded by a circle of what looked like ashes.

"What the hell is this?" Justin demanded, putting the torch in the holder "I blew open a door for a bloody coffin? Un-fucking-believable!"

Justin angrily kicked away at the ashes, breaking whatever kind of circle it formed around the concrete slab. He felt cheated and was about to walk out of the room when he realized that it was filling with mist.

"What the hell?" he whispered, as the mist surrounded him "What's going on here?"

He spun around to see the mist pouring out of the coffin. He had never seen anything like this before.

Part of him wanted to run away from the room…from the armory…and the other part was curious to see what was inside that coffin.

Justin's curiosity got the better of him as he gingerly ran his hands over the coffin.

'Maybe I won't have to go away empty-handed' he thought, searching for a way to open it 'Maybe there's gold and jewels hidden in here!'

His hands came to rest on the cross at the head of the coffin. With a slight flick of the wrist, the cross moved, unlocking the coffin.

"Maybe my bank account will have a nice increase after all" Justin said to himself, as he opened the coffin.

A faint, musty smell invaded his nostrils, making him nauseous as he peered to see what was inside. Much to his horror, it was a corpse…a corpse of a man with graying dark hair.

"Why the hell would Shepard keep a corpse in a locked room?" Justin said, frowning in thought "I see no value in it"

Kicking the ashes in disgust, Justin turned to walk out of the room, unaware that the corpse suddenly sat up.

He barely had time to make it to the door leading back into the armory when something knocked him down from behind. Justin felt himself being grabbed with inhuman strength and turned to get a look at what was holding him down.

His eyes widened in terror as he realized that it was the corpse from the coffin attacking him. It all happened so fast…the mouth opened to reveal sharp canines before it tore apart the tender flesh of Justin's jugular. Justin's scream quickly became a gurgle as the blood was slowly drained out of his body…


	3. The New Nightmare?

… Garnet twisted and turned in bed once again that night, as she dreamt of that strange man again. She was dreaming that she was in the armory, in that room with the cross door.

There was an open silver coffin that mist was pouring out of. She heard a scream and turner her head in the same direction, and nearly screamed herself as she saw the body of Justin with his throat ripped out.

A sudden flash of movement caught her eye and she quickly faced the figure in the semi-darkness. It was him! He stood in the room, dispassionately staring at the corpse next to the coffin, a thin trickle of blood escaping his full lips. He seemed to see her and moved closer to see who she was.

'Wake up, Garnet' she thought to herself, fighting the urge to scream 'WAKE UP'

The man moved closer, with an intense stare that commanded attention.

"WAKE UP" she screamed to herself as the man came even closer…

…Garnet awoke to the sound of the phone ringing and sat bolt upright in bed.

"Holy shit, Garnet" she said to herself, clutching her sheets hard as she heard her father answer the phone "You have to stop dreaming like that"

She started to settle down some until she realized she wasn't alone in the room. A figure stood near her bedroom door, moving closer.

"Oh shit" she mouthed to herself, reaching for the baseball bat she kept under her bed "this can't be happening"

The figure moved out of the shadows and into the pale moonlight that filtered into her bedroom. Garnet could tell that it was a very handsome man standing before her. He looked to be in his early to mid thirties, with longish dark hair that reached his neck, and penetrating blue eyes. His full lips curved into a half-smile as he got a good look at her.

"Garnet" she heard him whisper with obvious mirth as his eyes sparkled "You're Garnet"

"Who are you?" she whispered to him, slowly relaxing as he moved closer.

Suddenly, Garnet's bedroom light opened and the handsome man disappeared as her father rushed into the room.

"Garnet" he said, breathlessly "Someone tripped the silent alarm at Carfax. I have to go there at once. The guards were drugged"

"Oh shit" Garnet said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes "I hope nothing was stolen"

"I hope so too" was all her father said, before rushing out of the room…

"I'm telling you" Garnet said, twirling her straw as she sat with her best friend Serena in the courtyard "He was standing in my bedroom, I swear. It was so weird. It's like he came out of my dreams and into reality." 

"Honestly, Garnet" Serena said, laughing at her "You've seen the Nightmare on Elm Street movies so much that you believe that your dreams can be reality. There's no such thing!"

"But that's not the weird thing" Garnet said, tossing her long mane of strawberry blonde hair behind her shoulders with a slight shake of her head "When he stood there in my room, he said my name"

"That does it" Serena said, throwing a crumpled up piece of aluminum foil at Garnet "We are going out tonight. You need to get laid."

"Gee, what gives you that idea?" Garnet said, sarcastically rolling her eyes "I've only bagged all the cute guys that live in this town"

"What's your magic number at now?" Serena giggled before taking a sip of her diet coke "A hundred?"

"Not even" Garnet countered; smirking at the many notches she had on her sexual belt "I'm at 82"

"Then I have you beat" Serena said, twirling her dark hair mischievously "I'm at 90"

"Good for you" Garnet said, sticking her tongue out at Serena "But a night out at Eternal sounds like fun. Maybe if I have a man in my bed--"

"It'll get rid of the man in your head" Serena finished for her "I quite agree. A good lay is just what the doctor ordered"…


	4. Forgotten Promises

… Simon stood in the coffin room in disbelief, staring at the corpse of his assistant on the floor. He could not believe that it was all happening again.

"Steven" he said to the guard next to him "How did Justin get the access code to get into the vault after hours?"

"He must have copied it from somewhere" the guard replied, scratching his head "I know for sure that I did not let him access anything. Does your daughter know the access codes? Surely she might have told him something"

"There's no way Garnet would know the codes" Simon said, shaking his head "I am positive that I am the only one that knows the access codes. Even my wife wouldn't know the codes to get into the vault."

"Shall I get rid of the body, sir?" the guard asked Simon, understanding what he was to do, according to the policies his employer set into place when he took over for Matthew Van Helsing.

"Please do" Simon said with a weary sigh "I'll be going to my office now. Don't hesitate to get a hold of me if you need me"

"Yes sir" the guard said, obediently picking up the dead body of Justin McCartney as Simon left the premises.

'Great' Simon thought worriedly as he climbed the winding staircase back to the main foyer of Carfax 'What am I going to tell Mary? We have to protect Garnet as well'

Reaching his office, he opened the secret opening hidden in his desk to reveal his mentor's journal. Silently praising himself for keeping Abraham's things around, he began to flip through the pages for a solution to his predicament.

As he absently flipped through the pages, he recalled the day Garnet was born

_Mary sat up in bed, cradling the quiet baby in her arms. A great tenderness fell upon Simon as he gazed at his new daughter._

"_Simon" Mary said, fighting back tears as she held Garnet closely to her chest "I fear for our daughter's safety, especially if he escapes"_

"_You mustn't worry about such things, Mary" Simon assured her, sitting at her bedside "He is locked up and sealed for good. He will never go near us ever again"_

"_I shall not worry about my safety much longer" Mary said, gazing at their daughter "My visions and nightmares stopped when I became pregnant with her. We have to protect our daughter; I fear I passed his blood onto her. I do not want her to go through the same things I did a few years ago."_

"_Mary" Simon reassured her, stroking her dark hair lovingly as Garnet slept peacefully in her arms "I will never let him near you or our daughter. This I promise you. She will never grow up with having to face those nightmares and visions that you had."_

"Fat load of good that promise was" Simon muttered under his breath as his mind returned to the present "Mary is going to be very upset when she hears that he has been released again"

He knew exactly what his wife would say to him when he told her about the man they desperately kept locked away was now free again.

"Mary will harp on the visions she used to have again" he whispered to himself as he stared at Abraham's journals "It's a small wonder that Garnet doesn't suffer from them as well, especially if she is bound to him by his blood"…


	5. Nothing Is What It Seems

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:__After doing some re-reading, I decided to change the scenario. I think it is definitely much more realistic and interesting than my previous idea, so enjoy! For all those who were offended by my story, I apologize BUT, you have to agree that Mary wasn't a very strong individual until the end of the movie. Rest assured, her strength will show again, so please be patient. Thanks for reading and reviewing._

… He watched the guard remove the bloodless corpse from the room as he crouched among the shadows, unnoticed.

The blood he drank sated his thirst for the moment, but he knew he would need to feed more to return to his normal self.

But he also had more pressing matters to attend to. He saw visions of the girl in her bedroom the previous night, and many nights before. He knew he had to find her.

"She is bound to me by my blood" he whispered, sensing his blood coursing through her veins "She will be mine forever."

Sensing that he was alone, Dracula turned himself into a bat and flew out of the coffin room, unnoticed…

… Mary stood in her bedroom, putting away laundry when she sensed something was terribly wrong. She closed her eyes to envision what was going on, but could only see the familiar face that had haunted her dreams as a young woman.

"I won't let this bother me" she said, through clenched teeth as she opened her eyes again "Garnet is not in danger. He is locked up and sealed in that room. There is no way he can escape."

Just then, the phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?" she said, after picking up the receiver.

"Hello, Mary" Simon said at the other end "There's been a robbery at the office. Someone tripped the alarm. It looks like an inside job"

"Is everything okay?" Mary asked, slowly sitting on the bed "Who tripped the alarm?"

"It was Justin McCartney" Simon said, sounding defeated "He tried to override the security system. The whole place is a mess. I don't think I'll be home in time for supper. We have a lot of cleaning up to do"

"What shall I tell Garnet?" Mary asked, knowing full well about her daughter's fondness for Justin.

"Tell her nothing regarding Justin" Simon said sharply, before calming down again "I don't want her getting involved in our investigations"

"I won't tell her anything then" Mary said, standing up "Shall I wait up for you tonight?"

"You can if you want" Simon said, sighing "I'm not sure how long this will take"

"I will talk to you later then" she said, before hanging up "Call me if you need anything"

"Okay, darling" he replied softly "Enjoy your day"



With that, Mary hung up, swallowing the fear that was building in her throat. She just knew something was wrong and that Simon wasn't telling her everything.

"There's no need to worry about anything now" Mary said to herself, trying to regain her composure "Simon will let me know if there's any immediate danger to me or Garnet"…

… Garnet and Serena stood among the throbbing lights of Eternal, both dressed to impress. Garnet wore a short black halter top with leather pants and clear heeled stilettos while Serena wore a silver tube top with a short black skirt and heels with ribbons tied around her calves.

"This is great!" Garnet yelled, admiring the many gorgeous guys on the dance floor, just waiting for a piece of ass. "I feel like I haven't been here in forever"

"Let's get a drink first" Serena said, grabbing Garnet's arm and pulling her to the bar "Then we'll circulate the dance floor"

"Sounds like a plan, chief!" Garnet quipped, laughing as they approached the bar.

"Hey Marty!" Serena called out to the young serious-looking bartender "Long time no see! Vodka martini shaken not stirred and an apple martini"

"Hey ladies" Marty replied, smiling "It looks like you both beat your previous land speed record with drinks"

"What are you talking about?" Serena said, cocking her head in a sexy manner as Garnet leaned against the bar lazily, gazing at the dance floor.

"Two guys just bought you a round of drinks" Marty said, handing them their martinis "You both certainly know how to get a man's attention"

"Who are these generous guys?" Garnet asked, taking her vodka martini and having a tiny sip.

"Those two over there" Marty said, gesturing towards a table next to the bar "They send their fondest regards"

Garnet and Serena both looked in the direction he was gesturing to. Sure enough, two very handsome men sat there, staring at them intently.

"Which one do you want?" Serena asked Garnet as they sized the men up.

"I'll take the blonde one" Garnet said, staring at the man with blonde hair and aquamarine eyes "He looks very well built and looks like he could use some attention"

"I was hoping you'd say that" Serena said, giggling as they walked towards the table "The dark haired guy is dreamy"

"Hello ladies" the dark haired man said, flashing both girls a whiplash smile. He spoke with a deep French accent "Would you like to join us?"

"We thought you'd never ask" Garnet quipped, smiling flirtatiously at the blonde man as she sat next to him "Thank you for the drinks"

"Anything for two beautiful ladies" the blonde man said, with a light British accent "We noticed the both of you as soon as you walked into the club"



"Nice to know we left a lasting impression" Serena said, winking at the dark haired guy "My name is Serena, and this is my friend Garnet"

The blonde man took Garnet's hand and kissed it, all the while rubbing the palm with his fingertips.

"Such beauty" he said, squeezing her hand "Like an angel"

"My name is Patrice" the dark haired man said, kissing Serena's hand "This is my friend Julian"

"Are you guys from around here?" Garnet asked, finishing her martini

"Actually, we live in a condo a few blocks away" Julian said, his eyes locked on Garnet "And what about you?"

"We both live a few blocks away as well" Serena said, twirling her hair as she smiled at Patrice "Closer to campus"

A pulsing song came on and people started dancing. Garnet realized, as she looked away momentarily, that she couldn't keep her eyes off of Julian. He was exactly what she wanted…a nice, studly guy. Suddenly, she wanted to dance with him…to feel his closeness.

"Would you like to dance, Julian?" Garnet asked, setting her martini glass down.

"It would be my pleasure" Julian said, standing up and extending his hand to her. She eagerly accepted and they walked to the dance floor, hand in hand.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?" Garnet said, giggling as they started to dance. He kept his hands on her hips as they moved together rhythmically in a primal dance. "They're such a brilliant aquamarine colour"

"My eye colour is all natural" Julian replied, smiling as they moved closer to each other "But people hardly notice"

"I don't see how" Garnet said, smiling at him "They're so beautiful…and so clear"

Julian didn't reply, just kept his hands on her hips, guiding her to the music. Another song started and he turned her around and put a hand on her fluttering stomach.

"Such beauty" Julian breathed, bending down to whisper in her ear as he guided her lithe body to the rhythm pulsing between them. She could feel his hard lust for her throbbing against the small of her back as they moved together, in a primal dance that spoke of its own carnal body language.

Garnet closed her eyes, sensing how intoxicating his closeness was. His hot breath caressed the nape of her neck, making her shiver with anticipation of what was yet to come…

…He stood in the shadows of the pulsing room, watching her dance. His pulse quickened as he envisioned himself alone with her, as he had envisioned many times in captivity. She was everything he knew she would be…he could sense it. There was nothing stopping him from getting what he had searched the earth for, through many centuries.

As the song ended, he glided soundlessly across the room, inching closer and closer to her. He was well aware of all female eyes falling upon him as he passed many young women to get to her. After all, he could have any woman he desired…but he wanted her…Garnet.



He saw her take the hand of the man she was dancing with as she let him lead her away from the dance floor. Watching intently, he saw her say goodnight to her friend before leaving the room. This was truly the impeccable moment to strike…

…"Where to?" Garnet asked Julian as they entered a darkened alleyway.

"My flat" Julian replied, pausing to ogle the younger girl before putting an arm around her shoulder "It's just a few blocks away"

"Sounds like a plan" Garnet grinned, glad she had planned ahead and told her mother that she was sleeping over at Serena's place that night.

"Are you and your friend regulars at Eternal?" Julian asked, leading her into an area of the alley filled to the brim with gang graffiti. Garnet felt slightly nervous, noticing two figures approaching them.

Julian sensed her unease and said "What's wrong, sunshine?"

Garnet saw the figures come closer, her eyes widened.

"I wouldn't worry" Julian said, scoffing as they were even closer "They might pass us"

"That's what you think" one of the figures taunted as they jumped in front of their path. "It looks like you're trespassing on our turf, pretty boy"

"Oh shit" Julian moaned, seeing the moonlight glitter on their switchblades. Garnet stood frozen, a silent plea for help resounding in her subconscious.

"Oh come on, guys" Julian laughed nervously, gulping before pushing a stunned Garnet forward "I bet you want her more"

Garnet gasped as one of the thugs grabbed her.

"She's our main course" the taller thug taunted, advancing on Julian "Give me your money, pretty boy"

Julian blindly charged, stupidly falling into the thug's path with his fists raised. The thug then slashed Julian's arm before picking him up and throwing him against a wall roughly. Julian's eyes rolled into his head as he slumped down, slipping into unconsciousness.

Garnet struggled against the other thug's grip, silently praying for intervention as the tall thug advanced on her. She couldn't believe how useless Julian had been and how much of a coward he was.

"It's your turn, princess" the tall thug said, wiping the blood from his switchblade casually "But my friend and I will definitely have fun with you first. You'll like it...that's a promise"

Garnet wrinkled her nose in distaste. His face was tattooed with a long scar that went from his left eyebrow down to the cheekbone, almost as if that side of his face had been slit open a long time ago. He was definitely ugly by all standards and his partner was no better...short and piglike, almost like Chief Wiggum from the Simpsons.

"I'd rather die" Garnet hissed, spitting in his face "Men who have the need to rape aren't my type. You, my friend, are a fucking weak loser if you have to hurt a woman to have sex. Why don't you go fuck yourself while you're at it?"



"Shut up, you slut" the thug growled, slapping her face viciously, sending her head back from the impact "I'll cut you into little pieces while I ravage you again and again"

He then advanced on her again, brandishing his weapon in her face. Garnet braced herself for the attack, closing her eyes. What she heard next caused her eyes to open sharply...


	6. A Knight In Dark Armor

"Back away from the girl" a distantly familiar voice commanded "If any harm comes her way, I will punish you"

"Who are you, Sailor Moon?" the thug demanded sarcastically, brandishing his knife at Garnet "I'd like to see how you will try punishing me!"

'Help me!' Garnet thought, desperate to get away from the thugs as quickly as possible 'Whoever you are, please help me'

"Let the girl go" the dark figure commanded as he approached them "If you harm her, I will rip your heart out while it's still beating"

"Fuck you!" the thug exclaimed, turning around to face the approaching figure "I'll disembowel you while you're still breathing!"

Garnet looked to try and get a glimpse of her potential rescuer. As his features became visible in the lamplight, Garnet got quite the shock when she was able to see who he was.

It was the man who had haunted her dreams most of her life...and he was standing there in the flesh...in all his sculpted masculine beauty. He stood there, glaring at the thug with his penetrating blue eyes.

"Help me" Garnet thought as she saw Julian slowly sit up groggily. "Whoever you are, please help me"

'I'll save you, Garnet' his voice resounded in her subconscious as he advanced on the thug with fury in his eyes 'He will never harm you again, I will make sure of it. I am yours'

Garnet frowned at that. It was his voice, but she was sure his lips didn't move. And, how the hell did he know her name?

She watched as the thug stupidly charged at her saviour before her rescuer sidestepped him and grabbed him by the throat effortlessly. The thug tried to scream, but it could only come out as a gurgle as the man crushed his windpipe with utter ease.

"You will pay for trying to harm her" he said, gripping the thug's throat tighter and tighter. "But I will give you a choice. I will let you go…but never go near her again"

With that, he let go, making him fall to the ground, clutching his throat. The fat thug released Garnet, rushing to help his comrade. Garnet breathed a sigh of relief as Julian slowly stood up, looking bewildered.

"Thank you" Garnet said, staring at the mysterious man in wonder "I don't know what could have happened if you hadn't come to my rescue"

"He may have tried to harm you" he said, a smile of relief and gratitude creeping across his flawlessly handsome face as his blue eyes twinkled inhumanly "But I will be your guardian forever and for all eternity!"

Garnet just stared at him incredulously. Julian watched them intently for a moment before running away from them.

"Come" he said, extending his arm "Allow me to escort you home"…



Serena sat in the club, flirting with Patrice when she saw Julian bursting into the place like a madman. She sensed something bad happened.

"Julian, what the fuck?" Patrice exclaimed as Julian rushed to the table "You look like you saw a ghost…and what happened to Serena's friend?"

Julian paused to catch his breath before answering.

"We were attacked…some guy in black kidnapped her"

"WHAT??" Serena shouted, glaring at Julian "How could you let him kidnap her?"

"He was so strong" Julian said, swallowing hard "He had hands like a steel vice. We were attacked by thugs. He picked one up by the throat like it was nothing."

"You're a fucking coward" Serena exclaimed in disbelief, standing up "How could you just leave her there, you stupid son of a bitch! I'm going to go find out what happened to her"

"Want me to come with?" Patrice asked, looking concerned as he looked at how his friend was as white as a ghost.

"No" was all she said before she stormed out, whipping her cell phone out of her purse…

… "Well, this is it" Garnet said tentatively, gazing at her hero of the night "I really appreciate this"

"A beautiful girl like you should not be walking around alone" he replied seriously, taking her hand and kissing it "Especially after that fool tried to harm you"

Garnet fought hard not to wince at the coldness of his hand and tried her best to smile.

"Maybe I should have you as my bodyguard" she joked, winking at him flirtatiously "That way you can always be with me, no matter where I go"

He responded with a rather peculiar expression, his handsome face filled with confusion.

"It was a joke" she said, half-smiling "Don't worry about it"

"May I see you again?" he asked, his penetrating blue eyes searching hers

"I thought you'd never ask" she said, smiling hugely at him "Are you free tomorrow? I want to return the favor"

"I will be free in the evening" he said formally, glancing at the moon momentarily "I will come by at sunset"

"That sounds good" Garnet said, feeling dizzy with luck as she heard her cell phone ring "You are welcome at my house anytime, but it's best for you to come to my entrance"

"Your entrance?"

Garnet pointed to the staircase leading up to the French doors of her bedroom as he gazed at her curiously.



"I don't want to put you through the torture of meeting my parents" she said, laughing "My parents are a little strict"

"It is of no importance...to meet your parents..." he replied casually, the way he had responded to Mary Westerna when she offered him coffee "I will see you at sunset tomorrow"

With that, he let go of her hand and disappeared into the night as Garnet watched him leave, picking up her ringing phone.

"Hello?" she said distractedly, averting her eyes

"Are you okay?" Serena demanded, obviously scared and concerned

"Yeah I am" Garnet said, heading into the house "What's up?"

"Julian ran back into the club after that guy in black kidnapped you" Serena said breathlessly, slowly relaxing "He looked like he had seen a ghost"

"Julian told you I was kidnapped?" Garnet demanded, rolling her eyes "God is he full of shit"

"What do you mean?" Serena demanded as Garnet walked into her bedroom "You weren't kidnapped?"

"Ummm no" Garnet said, sighing "We were on our way to his flat when two thugs attacked us. The man in black saved me before my face could get slashed. I hope you didn't go home with Patrice"

"Nope" was Serena's reply "I figured Patrice wasn't worth it after what Julian had done to you. So where are you then?"

"I just got home" Garnet replied, sprawling herself on the bed "My hero walked me home before making plans for a date tomorrow night. Oh Serena, he is so dreamy…I think it really is the same man from my dreams"

"You sound weird" Serena laughed, mimicking her friend's response "I think you need to rest…I'll see you tomorrow…let's go shopping!"

"Sounds good" Garnet replied, yawning "Have a good night!"…


	7. Dark Possession

…He stood outside the French doors, watching her as she quickly undressed and slipped under the covers of her bed. He had finally found her…the girl of his own flesh and blood.

"Blood of my blood" he whispered, as he saw her turn off her light "Flesh of my flesh. I don't need to enter her dreams anymore"

He willed himself into mist and slid under the French doors into her room. It was only a matter of seconds for him to materialize behind her, so that she was sleeping…cradled in his arms.

He took in her scent…her heart beat a beacon for his heightened senses…her blood coursed through her veins, with a hint of his blood entwined…she was his now.

'You are mine now' he thought, putting his words in her subconscious 'I will never let anything or anyone harm you, my sweet…rest…and I will give you eternal life'

He tilted her head so that his lips could brush against her jugular vein. He opened his mouth and his fangs emerged, while the whites of his eyes flooded red. In a matter of seconds, his fangs pierced her delicate skin.

Garnet moaned quietly in her sleep as he drank her sweet blood. But not too much…he had to savor her…He didn't want everything to happen all at once…He lapped up enough blood to satisfy his thirst, and then pulled away after his mouth was nice and red.

'Sleep, my sweet' he thought, as he saw a smile play upon her full lips 'You need all the rest you can get'

Garnet slept peacefully for the rest of the night, cradled in his arms. He stayed awake, listening to the beating of her heart…

… "Holy shit" Serena exclaimed as Garnet strode up to her "What did you get up to last night? You're pale as a ghost!"

"Oh pish" Garnet said dismissively, rolling her eyes "My mom said the exact same thing earlier on."

But it was true…Garnet was seemingly more pale than usual. Plus she felt slightly weaker than usual as well…but she wasn't going to let anyone know that.

"Oh Serena" Garnet said, smiling brightly under her sunglasses "He is sooooooo gorgeous"

"Give me details, girl!"

"Well" Garnet paused, smiling "After I left the club with Julian, those two thugs swarmed us. Julian responded by throwing me to them...fucking coward."

"Yes you told me that" Serena said, twirling her hair in anticipation "Keep going"

"As I was forced into a very uncomfortable position, he appeared out of nowhere…the taller thug tried to attack him, but it was anticipated. He literally picked the thug up with a single hand and started crushing his throat"

"Oh my god" Serena exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise "Then what?"

"He let him go" Garnet continued, pausing only to take a sip of her drink "Then he walked me home…oh Serena, he is soooo dreamy. He's everything I have ever wanted in a man!"



"You are a lucky duck then, Garnet" Serena said, amazed at the story she had just heard "So, are you going to see him again?"

"Yes!" was Garnet's immediate reply before she burst out into giggles.

"Do you know his name?" Serena demanded curiously, thinking of the possibility this handsome stranger had a friend for her to date.

"Nope" Garnet replied, realizing her predicament

"Do you know how to get a hold of him?" Serena asked, frowning

"Nope"

"Then how will you see him again?" Serena inquired, arching an eyebrow in confusion

"He's picking me up at home" Garnet said, smiling goofily "He said he would drop by at sunset"

"Sounds romantic" Serena said, smiling wistfully "Maybe you should ask him if he has any available friends"

Garnet and Serena exchanged glances before bursting into laughter…

... Garnet sat on her bed, nervously anticipating what was to come. She was rarely nervous before dates, but this man was decidedly different from the usual men she dated. She figured it was the connection through their dreams that made this even more special.

She started pacing around her bedroom, wearing a slightly more conservative outfit than her usual look. Instead of her usual leather pants or micro mini skirt, she was wearing a nice summery halter dress with her denim jacket on top.

"Calm yourself, girl" she murmured to herself as she stopped pacing and glanced at the time on her watch. "It's just a man...an enigmatic man who is gorgeous beyond belief!"

She was startled out of her little pep talk by a knock at her French doors. Knowing it could only be him, she opened the door, putting a smile on her face.

"Hello" she said, letting him glide into the room "It's good to see you"

"It's good to see you as well" he said, taking her hand the way he had done the night before "Your beauty never ceases to captivate me"

Serena couldn't help but stare at him incredulously. There was so much about this man that she needed to know. Plus, if she was going to find out, she knew that her bedroom was the wrong place, especially if her mother decided to walk in.

He seemed to read her thoughts, something that made her a little nervous.

"Come" he said, leading her out the door "Let us enjoy this night"

'Ummm okay' Garnet thought dreamily as she followed him out of her room...

... "So" Garnet said as they walked along the lamplit streets "You never told me your name."



"I have many names" he replied mysteriously, pausing to look at her "Names that are so much more complicated than yours"

"Uh-huh" she replied, arching an eyebrow in confusion as they started walking again. "So then, what do I call you?"

"Call me...Vlad" he said, staring up at the moon momentarily as they passed building after building "My name is Vlad"

"Okay, Vlad" she said slowly, relieved that he had told her his name. "Where are we going?"

"To my abode" he said, gesturing towards a building in the distance. Garnet's eyes widened as her gaze followed to where he was pointing. It was an old but luxurious building near the cemetery. She and Serena passed it many times, wondering if anyone actually lived there. It looked almost like a mix between a chapel and a small mansion.

"It looks gorgeous" Garnet breathed as they approached the building "I've always wanted to go inside"

Garnet saw a hint of a smile creeping across his face as he led her inside. She was awestruck, her eyes pouncing on the decor as they walked soundlessly on the marble floor. It all seemed vaguely familiar to her, almost as if she'd seen it before in a past life.

"It seems you approve of our surroundings" he said as he led her into a big room lit by black candles.

Garnet stood in the threshold, amazed at what she saw. It reminded her of something out of a romance novel.

The luxurious room had a bed that consisted of several pillows for a mattress, a black silky duvet with a canopy surrounding it. A fireplace stood opposite the doorway, making her think of long winter nights curled near it under a blanket.

He put his hand on her shoulder, causing all thoughts to abandon her subconscious as she fell under the spell of his cool touch. He slowly turned her to face him and gazed deep into her dark eyes. She sighed...a sure sign that he had her full attention.

"My sweet Garnet" he breathed, reaching to stroke her face "I never thought I would find you"

Garnet looked at him wordlessly, hanging onto his every word. It felt like he was touching her inner soul while he flooded her subconscious like an aphrodisiac. She wanted nothing more than to feel him surround her and sedate the desire that began to burn through her entire being like primal fire.

As if reading her thoughts once again, he pressed his cool lips to hers in a feverish kiss. Garnet did not resist at all...just let him wrap his muscular arms around her and pull her close in a tight embrace. He slowly peeled off her denim jacket, letting it fall to the floor. He then slowly turned her around, letting his lips trail from the curve of her jaw to the sweet juncture of her neck where he had supped the night before.

Garnet moaned softly, putting a hand to the back of his head as he kissed the nape of her neck while one of his hands slid down the front of her dress, pausing at the hem of her dress...the other hand snaking underneath her arm to grab one of her full breasts. He nipped at her neck, pressing his hard desire into the small of her back as he tasted her...

... Mary had just finished her evening cuppa when Simon finally arrived home, looking grim. She could see in his eyes that something was terribly wrong but decided against asking him about it. He was under a lot of stress as it was.



"Hello love" he said, kissing his wife tenderly "I am so glad to be home. What a bloody mess"

"Is everything alright at Carfax?" Mary asked, relieved to see her husband home for the night.

"Yes" he sighed, letting his forehead drop to hers "I should have known better than to trust Justin. That slimy bugger had me fooled"

"There there" Mary said soothingly "It's not your fault he was two-faced...don't blame yourself"

"I'm glad everything has been put back in order" Simon said, sighing again "We would have had a real mess on our hands if he had stolen anything there."

"So then our hidden secret is safe?" Mary said, putting her cup in the dishwasher "He's still there"

"I hope so" he said, sinking into a chair at the table. Mary turned to look at him, her face ashen.

"What do you mean, you hope so?" she demanded, panic fluttering in her throat.

"Well the ring of holy water was broken" Simon explained, knowing full well he couldn't hide this from his wife "And, Justin looked like his blood was spilled"

"We have to protect our daughter, Simon Shepard" Mary said, slamming her fists against the counter "Don't you realize how important this is?"

"Hold on a second" Simon said, frowning as he stood up "It's not time to press the panic button yet. Where is Garnet anyways?"

"At Serena's" Mary replied, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm sure she's safe there" Simon said, trying to convince his wife that all was okay for now "I'm sure if he was free, something would have happened to her already"

"I suppose you're right" Mary said, sighing as she sat down "But you know how much I worry about her"...


	8. Bloodlines

_DISCLAIMER:__ I own nothing!!!_

... Dracula propped himself up on an elbow to look at the sleeping angel beside him. Although he had been locked up in the Van Helsing vault for a couple of decades, he knew who she had been all along. From the moment of her conception, he knew she was forever linked to him through blood and, unlike her foolish mother; she was going to be his forever.

He noted, with amusement, at how Garnet was a mixture of both Mary and Simon in appearance. His amusement turned into dark laughter at his accomplishments with their precious daughter. Due to his ministrations, the essence that was hidden inside her blood would be the catalyst to her transformation into his dark Queen.

As she sighed in her peaceful unaware slumber, he stroked her cheek, fighting the urge to complete her transformation prematurely. He wanted his revenge to last until Mary and Simon suffered at his very feet. They had to pay dearly for the hell he had been put through in New Orleans, especially Mary's betrayal. He needed his next step to work perfectly: he had to turn Garnet against her parents.

"Soon, my angel" he whispered to her as he pulled her close "Soon we will be one and your parents will suffer for all eternity"

Looking out the window, he noticed that dawn was making its approach. Cradling Garnet in his arms, he sifted to her bedroom and tucked her in securely before melting into the ebbing shadows of the night...

... Garnet awoke around noon, noticing that she was alone. Puzzled, she looked around, realizing that she was back in her own bed. She knew for sure that she didn't fall asleep there.

Groaning at the brightness cascading in her room, she slowly got out of bed and dizzily closed the blinds on her window and French doors. Satisfied with the partial darkness in her room, she stretched her naked body and grabbed her silk robe from her desk chair.

As she stood near her bedroom door, she looked in the full length mirror attached to it and suppressed a gasp at her appearance. She didn't know how or why, but her skin was eerily pale.

"What the hell" she whispered to herself as she examined herself closely "Am I getting sick or something?"

Her eyes then traveled to her jugular, where she saw two little holes at the base of her neck that looked like pinpricks. Memories of the night before flooded her subconscious as she fingered the tiny wounds and she moaned in the sheer pleasure of feeling her fingertips against the tender spot. She vaguely recalled Vlad nibbling at her neck in the heat of passion.

As she recalled every minute detail of her night with Vlad, she was interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door.

"Garnet?" Mary called from the other side "Are you home already?"

"Yes, Mom" she replied, going to her closet "I'm home"

"Good" was her mother's reply "I need to speak with you downstairs"

"I'll be right there" Garnet replied, putting on a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Knowing that her mother would become very concerned at the sight of her paleness, Garnet took out her compact and put on some concealing make up to cover the paleness and the hickey.

Satisfied with her work, she brushed the tangles out of her hair and then headed downstairs to the kitchen, where her mother was sitting with a cup of tea. Mary looked up to see her daughter standing near the table and gave her a nervous smile.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Garnet inquired, pouring herself a cup of tea before sitting across from her mother.

"There has been a tragic robbery at the Armory" Mary said, her expression turning solemn "It appears that Justin McCartney tried to rob your father"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Garnet exclaimed, her eyes wide "Why would he do that?"

"Nobody really knows, hon" Mary replied, pausing to take a sip "All we know is that the security system disposed of him. It looked like he was trying to steal the steel coffin we had in there"

As Mary took another sip of tea, Garnet noticed that her mother's hands were shaking. She became concerned.

"Mom, is everything okay?" Garnet asked, as her mother looked at her sharply "You seem tense"

"There's something else I need to tell you" Mary declared after a moment of silent deliberation "Something to do with your ancestry"

Mary took a deep breath and then began.

"Your late Grandfather Abraham was the last of the Van Helsing clan in our family" she explained, her eyes misting at the memory of finding her father dead in Lucy's bedroom decades ago "As a matter of fact, he is the infamous Abraham Van Helsing that Bram Stoker wrote about in Dracula"

Garnet narrowed her eyes, wondering if her mother was being delusional. All her life, she had thought that Dracula was just a work of pure fiction.

"Go on"

"Your grandfather had very special blood within him, Garnet. He passed it on to me when I was born and I passed it onto you when you were born"

Garnet took a sip of tea, mulling over what her mother was telling her.

"When I was growing up, I had those same visions that you had when you were younger...those visions of the man in black calling for you. They got worse when I was a little older than you are now and I had no idea what was going on with me. I spent countless days and hours at a church in New Orleans where a friend of mine was a priest, trying to make sense of it all."

"What does this have to do with me?" Garnet asked, finishing her tea.

"Your grandfather and your father had come to New Orleans to find me. That's when I found out the truth."

"The truth about what?" Garnet demanded, wanting her mother to cut to the chase and tell her.

"Our bloodline" Mary said, setting her cup down gently "You see, your grandfather had kept watch over a creature over the centuries, using its blood to stay alive all this time, filtered through leeches"

"What creature?" Garnet inquired, thinking '_Is she talking about Vlad?'_

"There's no easy way to say this...Count Dracula"

At that point, Garnet felt like giving her mother a good hard shake. There was no such thing as Count Dracula! He was just a fictional character to her.

"Are you trying to tell me that this special blood is actually Dracula's blood? So I have the blood of Van Helsing and Dracula flowing through my veins?" Garnet exclaimed in disbelief _'I think my mother is having a breakdown!'_

"The visions you're having are of Dracula himself" Mary said sharply, not liking the insolent, disbelieving tone in Garnet's voice "You and he have a link. He knows who you are and will use these visions to find you. Now I don't know if he escaped from that coffin but I thought you should know in case he did"

"This is ridiculous!" Garnet nearly screamed at her mother "Do you know how insane this sounds? This is the stuff of horror movies, not real life! I've heard enough! Don't tell me any more of this mumbo-jumbo!!"

With that, she stood up and stormed upstairs, leaving Mary to sigh with dismay...


End file.
